Ammunition shell



DEC. 9, G NEU A N ET AL 2,265,697

AMMUNITION SHELL Filed June 6, 1940 lnventmra FranK Eur-Imelda! George Neurnann and atented fies. 9, 1941 AMMUNITION SHELL George Neufialnn and Frank Schneider,

wankee, Wis.

Application June 6, 1940, Serial No. 339,112-

ICIaim.

Our invention refers to explosive shells, and it is particularly adapted as a defense against airplane raids.

The invention has for its primary object to provide an ammunition shell unit, which may develop a secondary explosion due to striking an airplane or other object, whereby the body of the shell will grapple or engage the object struck and simultaneously discharge a parachute, which is connected'to the shell by a suitable cable, thus putting out of commission the airplane or object struck.

With the above and other minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth in connecranged to be otherwise movable, whereby it is discharged through the rear end of the jacket.

A piston-head is loosely mounted near the front end of the jacket, and has attached thereto a coiled cable 8, which cable is also attached to the leaders I of a parachute 8; the same is shown snugly folded within the shell with its crowned end abutting the disc 3.

Spaced from thepiston-head 5 is a fixed disc 5, which disc carries a percussion cap it, and

between the fixed disc and piston-head is an auxiliary explosive charge II.

A spring-controlled plunger rod I2 is reciprocatedly mounted in the nose of the shell, and has projecting from said nose a tappet finger l3. The rear end of the plunger rod carries a hammer id, adapted to contact and explode the auxiliary charge ii. The hammer it is also provided with fingers it, which engage springcontrolled trip arms l6 and pivot grapple hooks II, the said grapple hooks being exterior of and normally closed against the shell I.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that when the tappet finger l3 engages, for example, the body 01 an airplane, it will produce a hammer blow upon the cap of the auxiliary charge ll. This explosion of the charge will cause the piston-head to travel rearwardly in the jacket and strip the parachute and associated parts from the shell i.

As shown in Figure 2, in the event that the shell pierces a wing of an airplane, the grapple hooks ll, being expanded or spread out due to action of the hammer blow, will contact with the surfaces of the wing, and, thus, securely lockthe shell into anchor engagement with said wing. Hence, the parachute will ofler a substantial resistance or anchorage element with reference to the airplane, and said plane will be twisted from its course, or checked in speed to such an extent as to put the plane out of action. It will be observed, however, that this same result with reference to the shell and associated parachute will be had in the event that the shell strikes any portion of the plane.

Furthermore, in some instances, we may utilize a time-controlled explosive element associated with the auxiliary charge, whereby the shell may be discharged and function at a pre-determined distance from its point of travel; and, consequently, when so exploded, the cable and parachute will readily entangle a moving object, such as an airplane.

While we have shown and described a shell embodying our invention minutely as to details, it is understood that we may vary the structural features of the shell indefinitely within the scope of the claim to accomplish the desired results.

We claim:

A shell comprising, a jacket, a plunger extend- 

